WHO Fellowships Programme 2026: International Health Training Opportunities

World Health Organization (WHO) Fellowships Programme 2026 provides international health professionals with opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and technical expertise through specialized training, study and international knowledge exchange.

Administered through the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR), the programme is designed to help national health administrations improve the level of health education among public health professionals.

Selected fellows can undertake training abroad, participate through distance or virtual learning, or receive specialist training within their own country when appropriate facilities are available.

Importantly, this is not a conventional scholarship programme that individuals apply to independently. Candidates must be supported by their national health administration and are nominated by their government.

Background of the WHO Fellowships Programme

WHO uses the Fellowships Programme as a mechanism to strengthen the capacity of national health systems by providing further education and professional development opportunities for health professionals.

The programme creates opportunities for fellows to undertake:

Training and study in health areas unavailable in their own country
Training abroad
Distance or virtual learning
International exchange of scientific knowledge
Transfer of technology
Specialist training within their own country where appropriate facilities are available

The programme therefore combines professional development with the broader objective of strengthening national health services.

Fellowship requests lasting more than four weeks fall under the WHO Fellowships mechanism.

Who Can Apply?

The programme has clearly defined eligibility requirements.

To qualify, a candidate must be engaged in medical or health work within their national health organization, and the application must be supported by the relevant national health administration.

Candidates must also be nationals of countries within the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR).

This geographical restriction is important. The programme described on the supplied WHO page is not presented as a globally open fellowship where applicants from every WHO Member State can independently submit applications.

Eligibility Criteria

According to WHO, a fellow must:

Be engaged in medical or health work within their national health organization
Have the support of their national health administration
Be a national of a country within WHO’s South-East Asia Region
Be a government employee
Have completed at least two years of service
Have at least five years of service remaining before reaching the mandatory retirement age stipulated by their country
Be able to speak, read and write a language that can be used for the proposed studies

These requirements make the programme particularly relevant to established public-sector health professionals seeking specialized professional development.

Fields of Study and Training

WHO does not provide one universal list of subjects that every fellow must study.

Instead, the proposed field of study should align with the national needs and priorities of the candidate’s country.

This approach means fellowship training is intended not only to benefit the individual participant but also to strengthen the health system to which the fellow will return.

WHO states that selected candidates are enrolled in tailored programmes aligned with the specific learning objectives of their fellowship.

Training may consequently differ according to the candidate’s professional responsibilities, national priorities and available training institutions.

How Candidates Are Selected

Unlike many international fellowships, candidates do not simply submit an independent online application directly to WHO.

WHO Fellows are nominated by their governments.

Candidates must apply through their home country’s Ministry of Health (MOH) and obtain endorsement from the relevant ministry or health authority.

A selection committee consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Health and the WHO Country Office evaluates candidates and selects successful applicants.

Selected applications are subsequently submitted to the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office or WHO Country Office for processing and coordination of the training activities.

This government-nomination structure is one of the most important aspects prospective applicants should understand.

WHO Fellowship Funding and Benefits

The WHO Fellowships Programme provides substantial financial support to selected participants.

According to the official programme information, WHO covers travel and provides a monthly stipend to cover living costs for the duration of the fellowship.

Entitlements include:

Travel costs
Monthly stipend toward living costs
Book grant according to the duration of the fellowship
Fellowship Completion Allowance
Health Insurance Premium Cost

WHO states that funds for a Fellowships Programme are generally provided by the WHO Country Office.

The exact monetary value of the monthly stipend is not specified on the supplied programme page, so applicants should not assume a universal stipend amount.

Is the WHO Fellowship Fully Funded?

The programme provides significant financial support.

WHO explicitly states that it covers travel and provides a monthly stipend to cover living costs for the fellowship period. It additionally provides a book grant, completion allowance and health insurance premium cost.

However, the supplied WHO page does not use one universal monetary package or state that every conceivable personal expense is covered.

It is therefore more accurate to describe the specific entitlements rather than assume additional benefits not listed by WHO.

Fellowship Duration

The programme is intended for fellowship requests lasting more than four weeks.

No single maximum fellowship duration is stated in the main programme information supplied.

However, WHO’s post-fellowship service obligations distinguish between fellowships lasting:

Less than six months
Six months to two years
More than two years

This indicates that fellowship duration can vary substantially depending on the training programme and objectives.

Obligations of WHO Fellows

Receiving a WHO Fellowship also carries responsibilities.

Fellows are expected to maintain conduct appropriate to their role as international fellows and representatives of their country.

Following completion of the fellowship, participants must submit a Completion of Studies Report to the WHO Regional Office within one month.

For fellowships exceeding one year, participants must also submit term and progress reports during the programme.

Post-Fellowship Service Requirement

One particularly important condition concerns service to the fellow’s national health administration after completing the programme.

By signing the application form and accepting the fellowship, participants agree to continue working for, or make their services available to, their national health administration.

The required service period depends on fellowship duration:

Fellowship Duration	Required Post-Fellowship Service
Less than 6 months	1 year
6 months–2 years	2 years
More than 2 years	3 years

This requirement reflects the programme’s objective of ensuring that knowledge and expertise acquired through WHO-supported training contribute to the candidate’s national health system.

Application Process

Interested professionals should begin with their national Ministry of Health or relevant national health authority.

The process generally involves:

Identifying a training area that corresponds with national health priorities.
Confirming that the candidate satisfies WHO’s eligibility requirements.
Applying through the candidate’s Ministry of Health.
Obtaining endorsement from the relevant Ministry or Health Authority.
Evaluation by a selection committee involving the Ministry of Health and WHO Country Office.
Submission of selected applications to WHO for processing.
Coordination of the selected fellow’s training activities.
Enrollment in a programme tailored to the fellowship’s learning objectives.

Candidates should therefore not bypass their national health authorities and attempt to apply independently unless WHO or the relevant national authority provides different instructions for a particular fellowship.

WHO South-East Asia Fellowships Programme

Application Deadline

The supplied WHO programme page does not provide one universal application deadline for 2026.

Deadlines may depend on nomination arrangements, national processes and the proposed training programme.

Prospective applicants should therefore contact their Ministry of Health or relevant health authority for information about nomination schedules and internal deadlines.

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Organization	World Health Organization (WHO)
Programme	Fellowships Programme
Region	WHO South-East Asia Region
Purpose	Health education, specialist training and knowledge exchange
Eligible Applicants	Eligible public-sector medical/health professionals
Nationality	WHO South-East Asia Region countries
Government Employee Required	Yes
Minimum Government Service	2 years
Application Route	Through home-country Ministry of Health
Government Nomination	Required
Training Location	Abroad, virtual/distance, or within home country
Minimum Fellowship Mechanism Duration	More than 4 weeks
Travel	Covered by WHO
Monthly Stipend	Provided toward living costs
Book Grant	Provided according to fellowship duration
Completion Allowance	Provided
Health Insurance Premium Cost	Provided
Universal 2026 Deadline	Not stated

Final Thoughts

The WHO Fellowships Programme 2026 provides an important professional development pathway for eligible health professionals within the WHO South-East Asia Region.

Unlike conventional scholarships, the programme is closely connected to national health-system development. Candidates must already be working in medical or health roles within national health organizations, be government employees with the required service record, and receive support from their national health administration.

The financial provisions are also significant. WHO states that it covers travel and provides a monthly stipend for living costs, alongside a book grant, fellowship completion allowance and health insurance premium costs.

Most importantly, applications are not made independently directly to WHO. Fellows are nominated by their governments, with candidates applying through their home country’s Ministry of Health and obtaining the necessary endorsement.

For health professionals who meet these conditions, the programme provides access to specialized training, international scientific knowledge exchange and professional development while ultimately strengthening health services in their home countries.

Official WHO Fellowships Programme Information

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